Printing head ink roller



Jan. 2 1968 v ,A,PROCTOR 3,361,062

PRINTING HEAD INK ROLLER Filed Oct. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hal Arthur Proctor 1N VENTOR.

Jan. 2. 1968 I H. A. PROCTOR 3,361,062

PRINTING HEAD INK ROLLER Filed Oct. 1965 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I" 2 76 g l k I- l L g I Hal Arthur Proctor QINVEN'I'UR.

BY M6 United States Patent Ofiice 3,361,952 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 3,361,062 PRINTING HEAD INK ROLLER Hal Arthur Proctor, 5672 Monkland Ave., Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Oct. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 523,477 1 Claim. (Cl. 101-350) This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior copending application, U.S. Ser. No. 338,419, now abandoned filed Jan. 17, 1964, and relates generally to marking devices.

In certain types of printing operations, it is customary to employ as the marking element, a roller having inkbearing printing elements upon its convex peripheral surface whereby as a sheet of material or other articles pass in contact with the roller, the rotation of the latter will impress thereon the printing characters. In such devices, it is necessary to continuously apply a coating of ink to the printing characters On the printing wheel. Obviously, the failure to continuously and uniformly apply such ink will be detrimental to the printed product.

It is therefore the primary purpose of this invention to provide an inking roller for applying ink to a marking device of this character which will ensure a continuous and uniform supply of ink to the printing roller.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide an ink transfer roller which will be caused to rotate in synchronization with rotation of the rotary printing roller and during such rotation will continuously apply a film of uniform thickness of ink from a reservoir.

Yet another purpose of the invention is to provide a marking device having an ample storage reservoir therein for ink together with an applicator roller mounted in the reservoir and projecting therefrom into rotary contact with the surface of the printing head roller.

An additional important object of the present invention is to provide an ink reservoir for a transfer roller featuring the total enclosure of an ink-saturated material in contact with the transfer roller so as to prevent exposure thereof to air and make possible the use of alcohol base inks for printing on non-absorbent surfaces.

A still further object in accordance with the foregoing object is to provide an ink reservoir for a transfer roller of such construction and operation as to permit positioning of the marking device in any plane without adversely affecting the supply of ink or reloading of the reservoir.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the apparatus of the present invention in one installational environment.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 33 in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the ink-applying device.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of the ink-transfer roller.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 6--6 in FIG- URE 3.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1, it will be observed that the numeral 10 designates generally a marking device which is carried by a support 12 pivotally mounted on a suitable frame by a pivot portion 14 at one end thereof. As will be best apparent from FIGURES 1 and 2, the marking device 10 consists of a rotary printing wheel 16 having thereon a series of printing elements 18 which project from the surface of the drum in such a manner that they may be caused to engage and print upon a sheet of material 20 which is continuously travelling between the printing wheel and a drive roller 22. It will of course be appreciated that other articles may be conveyed in driving engagement with the printing wheel such as cartons, jars, etc., in order to impart rotation to the printing wheel or alternatively the printing wheel could be driven independently of the article with which it is engaged.

In order to continuously apply a film of ink to the marking elements 18 during the rotation of the printing wheel, there is provided an ink-applying device generally designated by reference numeral 30. The device 30 is fixedly secured to a support arm 32 atone end as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the other end of the arm being secured as by a pivot 34 to the support 12 intermediate the ends of the latter.

Referring now especially to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, it will be observed that the arm 32 is provided with journal portions 36 and 38 at its opposite extremities, the journal portion 36 receiving therein a fastener in the form of a shouldered bolt 4%) on which the ink applicator device 30 is supported. The other journal portion 38 is mounted upon the pivot 34 so that a positive angular adjustment of the arm 32 is permissible.

With continued reference to FIGURE 3, it will be observed that the ink applicator device 30 comprises a reservoir housing having a cylindrical peripheral wall 42 whose opposite ends are closed by end walls 44 and 46. The opposite ends of the fastener bolt threadedly receive washers and nuts for detachably and removably securing the walls 44 and 46 to the peripheral wall 42 establishing a sealed chamber 48 which serves as a reservoir for ink to be transferred to the marking roller 16. Aligned openings 50 and 51 are formed in the end walls for the reception of the fastener bolt 40 whereby the housing 42 is fixedly secured to the extremity of the arm 32 for angular adjustment purposes.

Each of the end walls 44 and 46 is also provided with a bore 54 and 56, respectively, which are aligned with each other and which receive bearing assemblies 58 for journaling an axle or shaft 66 projecting beyond the end wall 46. Fixedly secured upon this shaft within the reservoir housing is a sleeve or hub 62 upon which is mounted an ink transfer roller 64. A setscrew 66 may be employed to detachably secure the hub 62 to the axle 60.

The peripheral wall 42 is provided with an opening 68 therethrough and the axle is so positioned that a small arcuate portion of the ink transfer roller 64 will project therethrough and beyond the circumferential convex surface of the peripheral wall 42 as will be readily apparent from a consideration of FIGURES 3 and 4. By means of the fastening bolt 40, the rotational position of the housing 42 may be so positioned as to cause the projecting portion of the ink transfer roller 64 to effectively engage the marking surfaces of the printing wheel as shown in FIGURE 1.

Completely filling the chamber 48 in the housing 42 in wiping engagement with the roller 64 is a mass f absorbent material 70 cut to a precise shape as shown in FIGURES 3 and 6. This material may consist of sponge rubber or other suitable equally absorbent material. Because of the shape thereof the material is in complete and intimate contact with the internal surfaces of the reservoir walls and the ink transfer roller 64. This accounts for the proper transfer of ink from the reservoir chamber 48 and proper wiping action between the roller 64 and the material 70 when the roller 64 is being rotated. It should be noted that the roller 64 where it passes through the aperture 68 forms a small vent through which air is displaced from the body of the material to permit absorption of ink when being charged. Because of the contact between substantially the entire external surface of the material 70 and the walls of the reservoir chamber, there is almost no surface area through which the ink is exposed to the rapid drying effect of air. This will make possible the use of alcohol base inks otherwise subject to rapid drying from exposure to air. In addition, the wiping action between the material 70 and the surface portion of the roller 64 from which air is excluded by the material in contact therewith, ensures that only a relatively thin film of ink of a necessary quantity to effectively ink the printing elements will be transferred by the applicator roller portion Within the chamber 48 to the printing wheel.

It is also essential to the proper transfer of ink from the roller 64 to the printing wheel, that the peripheral surfaces of the transfer roller and the printing wheel which engage each other are travelling at the same linear speed so that ink will be transferred from one surface to the other with a pure rolling action. Toward this end, rotation of the transfer roller 62 is synchronized with that of the printing wheel 16 by means of suitable gearing to ensure rotation of the transfer roller in a direction opposite to that of the printing wheel and at a drive ratio equal to the ratio between the outer diameters of the transfer roller and the printing wheel. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, rotation is imparted to the transfer roller at the proper drive ratio by means of a crossed endless drive belt 78 entrained about pulley wheel. 74 secured to the transfer roller shaft 60 and a pulley wheel 76 secured to the printing wheel shaft 72. The relative diameters of the pulley wheels 74 and 76 are therefore selected so that the linear peripheral speed of the transfer roller 64 will be equal to that of the printing wheel 16 in order to avoid any wiping action between the transfer roller and the marking surfaces 18 on the printing wheel.

In view of the complete filling of the ink reservoir chamber 48 with the ink-saturated material 70 there is no space within the chamber within which a body of liquid ink may accumulate and flow out of opening 68 under the influence of gravity so that the supply of ink from the reservoir to the printing wheel through the transfer roller will not be adversely affected by repositioning of the marking device from a vertical position as shown in FIGURE 1 for example to a horizontal position. Thus, the marking device of the present invention because of the ink applicator device 30 is endowed with installational flexibility. Further, reloading or charging of the ink reservoir chamber 48 with a supply of ink will be facilitated regardless of the installational position of the marking device. As shown in FIGURE 1, the reservoir chamber may be charged by saturating the material 70 therein with ink from an ink supply 80 in the form of a plastic, squeeze tube inserted into a threaded inlet fitting 82 mounted on the peripheral wall 42 of the reservoir. When the marking device is positioned horizontally, the inlet fitting may of course be mounted on one of the end Walls 44.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An ink applicator device comprising a printing head a reservoir housing having a peripheral wall together with end walls detachably secured thereto and defining therewith an ink-containing chamber, said peripheral wall having an opening therein, an ink-transfer roller disposed in said chamber and having a portion of its cylindrical surface projecting through said opening and closing the latter to engage said printing head, an axle journaled in said housing and fixedly secured to and supporting said transfer roller and extending through one end wall, means exterior to said housing and connected to said axle and imparting rotation to the latter and thereby transferring ink from said chamber through said opening and to the exterior of said housing, supporting means secured to one of said end walls and positioning said transfer roller projecting surface for engaging said printing head and applying ink thereto, said supporting means including a support arm having a journal portion establishing an axis for the housing, a fastener bolt extending through said journal portion and connecting said support arm to said housing to enable the rotational adjustment of the housing about its axis relative to the support arm for orientation of said ink transfer roller relative to said printing head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,145,052 7/1915 Ball 101-333 1,148,536 8/1915 Rearick 101-94 1,248,856 12/1917 Henry 101-350 1,393,513 10/1921 Duval 101349 X 1,491,732 4/1924 Payzart 101-364 X 1,545,988 7/1925 Thomayer 60-203 2,194,324 3/1940 Putman et al. 10l350 X 2,232,274 2/1941 Kobbins 101363 2,674,941 4/1954 Hopwood et al. 10l350 X 2,706,474 3/1955 Ackerman 118258 X 2,933,033 4/1960 Judge 1l8258 X 2,996,003 8/1961 Worth 101-367 X 3,059,571 10/1962 Worth 101350 X FOREIGN PATENTS 811,644 4/1937 France.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. I. R. FISHER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN INK APPLICATOR DEVICE COMPRISING A PRINTING HEAD A RESERVOIR HOUSING HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL TOGETHER WITH END WALLS DETACHABLY SECURED THERETO AND DEFINING THERE WITH AN INK-CONTAINING CHAMBER, SAID PERIPHERAL WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, AN INK-TRANSFER ROLLER DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING A PORTION OF ITS CYLINDRICAL SURFACE PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPENING AND CLOSING THE LATTER TO ENGAGE SAID PRINTING HEAD, AN AXLE JOURNALED IN SAID HOUSING AND FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING SAID TRANSFER ROLLER AND EXTENDING THROUGH ONE END WALL, MEANS EXTERIOR TO SAID HOUSING AND CONNECTED TO SAID AXLE AND IMPRINTING ROTATION TO THE LATTER AND THEREBY TRANSFERRING INK FROM SAID CHAMBER THROUGH SAID OPENING AND TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING SUPPORTING MEANS SECURED TO ONE OF SAID END WALLS AND POSITIONING SAID TRANSFER ROLLER PROJECTING SURFACE FOR ENGAGING SAID 